10. ~ Chapter Ten ~
~ Chapter Ten ~
T revor
“How would you know that, Lucia?” I watched as Lucia prickled at her dad’s tone. I had to remember that with the Italians, women were seen but not heard. Not many stepped into the role of spy, or lookout, or even put themselves in danger, like this woman had.
Oh, they knew how to take care of themselves, no doubt about that. And they certainly heard about far more shit than what was good for them. But that didn’t mean they spoke up about it.
“Mr. Russo,” I started, waving at my bleeding arm. “Can you let me get stitched up here, then we can come back to discussing this. I think we need to have a talk about what we’re going to do anyway. And I can focus a lot better on that than without me bleeding and almost passing out.”
“Right, sure, Doyle, do what you need. I need a drink, if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. Jameson, show him where everything is.” With Lucia’s help, we walked to a small room that I often used for when Doc needed to fix things up on the men.
“Thank you,” she whispered as she held my hand, which I found far too sweet. I had been shot plenty of times and each time, I managed just fine without her clutching to me. But it was rather endearing that she didn’t want to let go.
“For what?”
“Stopping my dad.”
“Hey,” I told her, cupping her cheek and turning her head to look at me. “Your dad might do things a certain way, but that doesn’t mean it flies here. I know you were used to him and how he handled things, but I’m not built the way he is.
“I told you I would always value your voice, that goes before that man too. He’s my father-in-law, and I will respect him as such, but he’s also the man who controls the other half of the city that I’ve longed for. I’m not going to say that having his daughter is far better, because that would make it seem like I don’t care about you at all.”
“I know, Trevor. And I have no problem speaking up. I have no problem taking on roles I need to in order to protect my family or loved ones.”
“So I saw. Which, by the way, is something I didn’t care for.”
I chuckled as she rolled her eyes.
“Should women not carry guns?” she questioned, lifting a brow.
I quickly shook my head. “Oh, hell no. Any Irish lady who belongs to a mafia man knows her way around a gun, knife, kitchen, and if need be, other power tools that can do bodily harm if you piss her off. Irish ladies, no offense, have nothing on Italian women when it comes to tempers.”
“I find it adorable that you think that, Husband, when you’ve never lived with an Italian woman, so you’ve never seen their wrath.”
As the doctor finished up with his stitches, which I hardly noticed thanks to the woman beside me, I pulled her close, giving her the softest of kisses.
“And I find it so cute that you think your temper matches my kind, when all I grew up with was women. Mom, dad, and sisters. I know Irish tempers well enough.”
Lucia
“Did you see the man?”
I looked at my dad, then at Trevor, as he sat down in the seat across from him.
“I didn’t, but your daughter did. That’s how she knew who it was. She’s smart, and very savvy.”
“She shouldn’t be, at least savvy. Jameson said someone shot his tire out, who did that? Did you get the hit, Trevor, before he shot you?”
“I’d like to take the credit for that Russo, but that’s your daughter. I couldn’t lift my arm, so she grabbed my gun, took serious aim in a moving vehicle, and fired. In the process, she caught the tire, just like she needed.”
“Lucia, really? You did that? When time and again I’ve told you that you shouldn’t be handling those things while driving?”
“And leave him to gun down the car? To kill me, mio marito, o I miei uomini ? I don’t think so, Dad. You know damn good and well you didn’t raise a fool, and I don’t find it to be an impossible thought that mama would do what she could to protect you, or her kids, if the situation called for it.”
“Your men now?”
I narrowed my eyes at my dad and crossed my arms. Of all the things I said, that’s what he picked up on? That one piece of Italian?
Didn’t he understand that I belonged to this family just as much as my own. That Trevor was now part of the Italian mob by marriage, just like I was part of the Irish mafia? Surely, he wasn’t that dense.
“Yes, Dad, my men. Trevor is my husband, and he rules the Irish mafia, which means I do too. Therefore, even if you don’t like it, they are my men. You wouldn’t let one of us die, so why should I let them die? Remember, you’re the one who pushed for this union, this merger, that means it all merges. There is no one side anymore.”
I tried to steady my heartbeat, knowing that I was on the verge of exploding on my dad. It wasn’t that my dad wouldn’t hear me out, he did. He just liked to confer with all his men first, get the facts from them, and then if given the chance, I could share my thoughts. Again, it wasn’t like I tried to get in his way or control what he did.
I knew my place. I wasn’t a man, just a woman. So, by rights, I wasn’t allowed to speak up.
“Lucia, it’s okay, you know you can always speak up here,” Trevor muttered, unhooking my arms to take my hand. “How do you know about Lee?”
I blinked a few times before turning my attention to him. “Who doesn’t know of Lee? He’s a very powerful man. I just thought he was far cleaner that he’s appearing.”
“Have you met him?”
“Once, actually. It was a dinner party when I was visiting family in New York. I had heard he was trying to buy property out here, but wasn’t having much luck, of course.”
“Would he remember you?”
I tilted my head as I regarded Trevor and slowly shrugged.
“I’m going to say no. Which benefits us, actually.”
“What are you thinking, Lucia?” my dad growled, at least knowing me well enough to know something was brewing in my mind.
“Let me talk to him.”